Heathersky's Pain
by Chaos Princess Cyclone
Summary: Heatherstar had a great life as leader. A healthy. strong Clan full of little kits ready to train to become warriors. But life hadn't always been this easy. She experienced flashbacks back to her circumstances when she was still a kit, all the way to her leader ceremony. If it hadn't been for that one oath.. that one pledge of faith...


**Heathersky's Pain**

Heatherstar stood in the center of the clearing as kits scampered past her and into the ThunderClan nursery. Living in the forest, life was difficult. You had to hunt and fend off your territory. Of course, you had your Clanmates at your side, helping you stride for stride, but it was no easy task returning the favor, either.  
She shook her head, recalling her early memories. Being a kit, no responsibilities to tend to other than play-fighting… It sounded surreal to her, with all of her extra tasks that came with being leader of her Clan. _Oh, how I wish that I could be a kit once-more…_ she thought as she remembered her early life in the Clan.

Snow fell lightly onto the soft grass of the ThunderClan camp. Heatherkit dove into a tiny pile of snow, and her silver tabby fur fluffed up against the snowy cover.  
"Sunkit! Heatherkit!" a familiar voice called. Heatherkit leaped out of the blanket of snow, her appearance followed by the popping out of a small brown head beside her.  
"What's going on?" Sunkit, the tiny brown tabby that accompanied Heatherkit, mewed. Heatherkit gazed at her sister.  
"I don't know," she replied, glancing at Sunkit. "Somebody was calling us."  
Then, a lean gray figure padded towards Heatherkit and her sister. "Mom!" Heatherkit whined. "I thought we were allowed to play outside until sunhigh!" She quickly flicked her gaze to the sun, noticing that the sun actually _was_ at its highest point in the sky. _Mousedung!_  
"Come, my dears," meowed Willowbreeze, Heatherkit's mother. "It's time for a Clan meeting."  
Since Heatherkit and her sister weren't really old enough to attend, they had to settle on the far side of the clearing in a comfy-looking spot near the medicine cat den. Willowbreeze sat on the cold ground ahead of her daughters; when Heatherkit had caught up, she plopped onto the snowy grass beside her kin.  
A broad-shouldered tom cat sat atop the Highledge, the tallest point in the camp. When Heatherkit flashed a baffled expression on her face, Willowbreeze leaned in and whispered, "That's Bramblestar. He's our leader."  
She looked on in awe as the dark tabby addressed the Clan with the customary opening words of a meeting. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting," yowled Bramblestar. His mate and deputy, Squirrelflight, sat beneath the ledge, facing the rest of the Clan.  
"Jayfeather and I have received an omen from StarClan!" he meowed. A chorus of gasps erupted from the cats in the clearing. Heatherkit looked around at the shocked cats. What omen could have possibly been sent to them by the wise deceased warriors in StarClan?  
"Our warrior ancestors have given us a rather unclear omen, predicting troubling times for ThunderClan." Worried mews floated all over the clearing, and Heatherkit thought she had seen a flicker of unease in Willowbreeze's eyes. "Jayfeather, please share with the Clan the words that StarClan have spoken to us."  
A small gray tabby tom leaped onto the Highledge with surprising certainty in his paws. Willowbreeze leaned down to whisper in her kits' ears yet again. "That's our medicine cat, Jayfeather. He tends to the Clan and interprets signs from StarClan. Be careful around him… he's a little rough around the edges." Heatherkit and Sunkit purred in amusement, but as Jayfeather and Bramblestar glared at them, she realized that she was purring a bit too loudly.  
The blind medicine cat cleared his throat, and meowed to the Clan: "StarClan has sent a prophecy to us…" He hesitated. "'The barrier of the wind will blow away the storm of thunder – the storm only to return if the wind sacrifices its power.'"  
As the cats around the clearing registered that the prophecy meant the possible destruction of ThunderClan, they went hysterical. The warriors Foxleap and Icecloud screamed in horror. Apprentices ran chaotically through the legs of warriors, further putting them on-edge. Heatherkit shrunk away into her mother's soft fur.  
Bramblestar looked distressed, but he shook it away as he ordered, "Cats of ThunderClan! Relax!" He took a deep breath. "This isn't the first negative prophecy that we've ever received. We can brave through this, just as we have in the past!" he meowed, his eyes glinting with courage.  
Slowly, Heatherkit peeked out from Willowbreeze's chest fur. She watched as the frightened cats filed back into their previous spots, nervously sitting down.  
"We must _calmly_ discuss possible threats to the Clan," Bramblestar mewed quietly. 'Squirrelflight, Jayfeather, Dustpelt, come with me," he added, waving his tail for the summoned cats to follow him into his den after he had leaped from the ledge.  
Sunkit scampered over to Heatherkit, her eyes wide. "Do you think we should battle WindClan?" she mewed worriedly. "I mean, from what the prophecy said: 'The barrier of the wind will blow away the storm of thunder,' they might attack us."  
Heatherkit felt a shiver of foreboding run through her little body. "I-I don't know," she admitted. Her mother leaned down to meow into her kits' ears. "StarClan forbid they attack, my kittens. StarClan forbid."

Heatherstar winced as she brought to mind the truth of her kithood – her path to leadership had been made more troubled because of it. More cats gone, more scars left… assumptions formed because of her very being! Because of her choice when she was still called Heatherkit! She sighed, picturing her life preceding her apprenticeship in ThunderClan, the start of all the mayhem.

Heatherkit bounced happily towards the freshkill pile. Within the next quarter moon, she would become a warrior apprentice! She would have battle training, hunt for her Clan, and become closer to being a full warrior of ThunderClan!  
The freshkill pile was filled with the day's catches: a thrush, two squirrels, a few mice, and a rabbit. _Yum!_ Heatherkit thought. She began to drag a plump squirrel to the nursery, but before she had made it all the way to her den, she decided that she and her sister did not need such a great piece of freshkill; although the warrior code – a code consisting of important laws that that the Clans must follow in order to promote integrity – supported a kit gaining prey, the elders of the Clan may need strength more them.  
Instead of the squirrel, she hooked a decent-sized mouse from the bottom of the heap of prey, and secured it in her tiny teeth. She carried it into the bracken walls of the nursery, her eyes slowly adjusting to the gloom. As soon as she did, her sister jumped up excitedly. "Yay! Mouse! My favorite!" Sunkit mewed happily. Heatherkit dropped the piece of freshkill to the ground, and sat onto the floor.  
Sunkit's teeth tore into the flesh of the mouse, and Heatherkit did the same to her half. "Mmmmmmm," Sunkit and Heatherkit hummed happily in unison as the delicious pieces of meat made it to their bellies. Willowbreeze came up to the duo, joy glimmering in her eyes.  
"Bramblestar is letting me go on a raiding party," Willowbreeze revealed. Heatherkit recoiled at the thought of her mother going into battle. Sunkit seemed to despise the idea just as much as she did. Seeing the disapproval of her kits, Willowbreeze added, "Don't worry about me. Bramblestar said that we needed to make sure that WindClan wasn't the first to attack us. Sunkit, Heatherkit, I promise I'll come back."  
Neither Heatherkit nor her sister seemed anymore approving of the situation, but they didn't say a word. Heatherkit knew from other Clanmates that Willowbreeze was a strong fighter and could take care of herself. Still, she felt an uneasy feeling in the back of her mind. Her mother laid down into her mossy nest. "Lay down, kits. It's almost sunset," Willowbreeze advised, stifling a yawn.  
Heatherkit obeyed, sleep suddenly lapping at her like a wave of fatigue. She curled up quietly next to Willowbreeze's soft fur. "Goodnight," she whispered to her mother and sister.

Heatherkit awoke in a dark and gloomy forest, much unlike ThunderClan's territory by the lake. She looked around in confusion, trying to comprehend where she was. "Hello," a voice rasped. Heatherkit spun around wildly, trying to locate the source of the sound. "Over here, young Heatherkit." She whipped around to face an elderly cat, with several splotches of color dappling her pelt.  
"Who are _you_?" Heatherkit asked the old she-cat, cocking her head to the side. "And how do you know my name? Where am I?" she mewed questioningly.  
The cat stepped forward, her crippled bones still lined with lean muscles. "Mapleshade, young kit. I lived many years before your time, but I was sent here after my death…" the queen began to trail off, and seemed to have to snap herself back to the present. "I've – I've been watching you since birth, Heatherkit. You hold promise in you, a destiny like I've never seen before. I plan to guide you on your path… I just need you to make an oath." Heatherkit was shocked. She never truly expected to advance from a regular warrior to deputy, even to leader… but this strange cat seemed to say she that great power was entwined with her destiny.  
"Okay," Heatherkit mewed finally. "What must I promise?"  
Mapleshade's gaze brightened with delight. "You must promise to hold true to the path of a warrior – never show weakness, cowardice, nor mercy… not even _compassion_ to those who do not follow your example."  
Heatherkit's pelt pricked. Not even compassion? Heatherkit was bewildered by such an intense oath to make, but she subsided the feeling. If she was to become leader of ThunderClan, she had to make such sacrifices. "I promise, Mapleshade," she meowed. Mapleshade's eyes seemed to glitter dangerously, but before Heatherkit could be sure, her dream melted away and consciousness came rolling in.

Sunlight streamed in through the openings in the nursery roof. Heatherkit stood up groggily, her legs extended as she yawned ferociously loud. The brown tabby beside her picked her head up quickly. "Yawn like that and you'll wake the whole forest up!" Sunkit squealed. Heatherkit ignored her and happily bounced around the mossy nest where her and her kin had settled last night. "We're going to become warrior apprentices today!" she mewed ecstatically. Sunkit's eyes suddenly lit up.  
"Yay!" she cried in joy. Sunkit leaped to her paws beside Heatherkit. The two frolicked around the nursery, eyes shimmering with ambition to become the best apprentices ThunderClan had ever seen. Not long after, Heatherkit paused. Her mother, Willowbreeze, had gone. "Willowbreeze isn't here!" she meowed urgently to Sunkit.  
Sunkit's eyes widened in horror. "The raiding party has probably already left to WindClan! We need to make sure Willowbreeze is alright!" Heatherkit nodded quickly and sprinted off in the direction of the camp entrance, her sister flanking her. Upon reaching the thorny bramble walls, Heatherkit slowed down slightly as to slide through the tunnel without harm. As far as she could tell, no one in the camp had been awake to see Sunkit and Heatherkit's escape.  
Heatherkit stopped abruptly, causing her sister to do the same behind her. "What is it?" Sunkit asked. Heatherkit parted her jaws to scent the air better. After a few heart-beats, Heatherkit pointed with her muzzle towards a clump of trees ahead of them. "The patrol went this way!" she declared. Sunkit and Heatherkit dashed, as quickly as their short legs would allow, in the direction of the WindClan border.  
When the makeshift patrol made it to the WindClan boundary, a stream leading to the large lake in the center of all the Clans, Heatherkit bounded over some stepping-stones slightly farther up from their original contact with the stream. Heatherkit padded up the slopes of the moorland as Sunkit struggled to follow.  
Heatherkit halted when she reached the top of the hill, which looked over the WindClan camp. The sound of battle reverberated through the area: the yowl of cats, the shrill cry of warriors at the mercy of another, and the nerve-racking splatter of blood. Heatherkit cringed as she looked upon the clearing, and Sunkit raced to her side. "So are we going to find Willow–" Sunkit froze in terror beside Heatherkit. _Why would any cat volunteer to attack in battle?_ Heatherkit wondered solemnly.  
Then, a brand new wave of despair rode over Heatherkit. There, in the center of the WindClan camp, lay her mother, unmoving. Heatherkit charged through the caterwauling cats all around her, staying focused on her mother. "Willowbreeze?" Heatherkit wailed desperately at the dead gray body of her mom. "Willowbreeze!" she exclaimed sadly. A dark shape appeared behind her. "Heatherkit." She slowly turned around to face the ThunderClan deputy Gingerfur, defeated. "Come on! We've got to get you out of here, now!" the ginger she-cat ordered.  
Heatherkit remained standing in a daze, completely oblivious to the battling cats all around her. She felt a tug at her scruff as her sister attempted to drag her from the WindClan camp. Gingerfur knelt down to fasten Willowbreeze's scruff in her jaw, doing the same as Sunkit. But all Heatherkit could think of while being dragged back to the ThunderClan camp was how she had been made motherless in front of her own eyes.

Heatherstar winced as she remembered the realization that she had been orphaned. Her mother had been taken away from her… because of some stupid prophecy! Because of a cat that had promised to help her! Heatherstar tried to push the depressing thoughts away – at least she had been made an apprentice…

Heatherkit sat below the Highledge, awaiting Bramblestar's customary meeting starter. She was still grieving for her mother's death that had occurred early that morning, even though the sun was beginning to set. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for an apprentice ceremony," Bramblestar yowled throughout the clearing.  
Heatherkit's paws should have been itching to apprenticed, but, with Willowbreeze's scent still lingering in the air, she was reminded that she would never get to speak with her again… diminishing any hunger for anything but her mother's voice. "Heatherkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Heatherpaw. Your mentor will be Bronzetail. I hope that he will pass down all he knows on to you." Heatherpaw gazed at the crowd of cats in the clearing, searching for a cat to step forward. A large tom with a pelt matching his name came forward, padding to stand in front of her underneath the Highledge. "Bronzetail, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Gingerfur, and you have shown yourself to be brave and loyal. You will be the mentor of Heatherpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."  
Bronzetail nodded and walked up closer to Heatherpaw to touch noses. She slowly touched her nose to his, the traditional way for a new apprentice to show respect to their mentor. The crowd of cats showed admiration to the newly-named Heatherpaw as she padded to sit to the side as her sister took her place. Sunkit was given to Shadowclaw, another senior warrior, whom seemed to be very popular amongst the Clan. After both Heatherpaw and Sunpaw had been apprenticed, the cats of ThunderClan chanted, "Heatherpaw! Sunpaw! Heatherpaw! Sunpaw!"  
Sunpaw darted over to Heatherpaw, tail held high. "Can you believe it? We're finally apprentices now!" Heatherpaw nodded, forcing a joyful expression onto her face. But, for just a heart-beat, Heatherpaw had truly meant her happiness.

Heatherstar sighed. Her bad choices hadn't ceased to be made after she was apprenticed. And, with Bramblestar's last of his nine lives gone and a new leader in his place, Heatherpaw had had plenty of opportunities to make her regretted decisions…

Heatherpaw slowly slid along the forest floor. Her tail was held just above the ground, as not to alarm the prey she was tracking. Heatherpaw made certain that she was downhill from the bird, and peeked her head through a berry bush in order to spot her target. She bunched up her haunches and was prepared to spring onto the pheasant that was poking at seeds. She would leap in 3…2…1!  
Heatherpaw rocketed upwards onto the bird, her claws unsheathed. She crouched down to give the killing bite, but instead, the bird pecked her under her eye. The freed pheasant flew off quickly, sending Heatherpaw into a fit. _Foxdung! _Attacked by her prey? "What am I going to tell Bronzetail?" she murmured under her breath. The bushes to her left shook as a silvery brown tom cat appeared from them with a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Yes, 'what _will_ you tell Bronzetail?' Hmm?" Heatherpaw's mentor crowed. "Perhaps that you should have pinned down your prey harder? If not that, then given the killing bite more swiftly?"  
Heatherpaw held back a frustrated grunt. "I suppose I should have done that. Thank you, Bronzetail," she mewed, agitated. Bronzetail _was _a senior warrior, yes, but he behaved like a young warrior. Which, sometimes, Heatherpaw couldn't stand. Four months into her warrior training and Heatherpaw _still _could not catch a fat pheasant… Heatherpaw guessed that her mentor actually had a good reason to note her mistakes.  
"Bronzetail, if you don't mind, I would like to patrol one of the borders." When Bronzetail looked approving, she then added, "Alone." Bronzetail looked in serious thought, and Heatherpaw thought that he was going to say no.  
"It would be great practice for you. Shadowclaw and I have been talking, and we believe that you and Sunkit should be made warriors soon," Bronzetail stated excitedly. Heatherpaw nodded and disappeared into the trees, padding to the ShadowClan border. Soon, she reached the stream that marked part of ThunderClan's border with ShadowClan. Heatherpaw leisurely walked up the border, being careful not to stray from the boundary markings. Suddenly, Heatherpaw felt uneasy. She was patrolling a border with one of the most hostile Clans by the lake _alone_.  
Heatherpaw placed each paw much more carefully now, her neck fur rising. She began to let her guard down, her pelt lying flat on her body. All of a sudden, a dark figure landed on top of Heatherpaw. She instinctively whipped around and launched the mysterious cat off of her with her powerful hindlegs. "What are you doing on ThunderClan territory?" she snarled at the trespasser.  
The cat recovered from the hit, standing up. It was a black tom-cat with strong shoulders and wispy blue eyes. "What do you mean ThunderClan territory? This is _ShadowClan_ territory, and I'm defending it!"  
Heatherpaw narrowed her eyes. "Check again, furball. See that dead oak right there?" She pointed with her tail to a tree still frail from the previous leaf-bare. "That's the border. And _you _crossed it, not me."  
The tom-cat looked horrified. "Are you going to rip my fur off?" he asked. Heatherpaw considered the tom.  
"What's your name?" Heatherpaw meowed.  
The black cat looked confused. "Smo-Smokepaw." Heatherpaw felt like her heart was soaring. _A handsome cat with a handsome name!  
_"This time, you may go. But next time… remember to stay on your side of the border," she meowed. Smokepaw nodded quickly and scurried across the border. _He thought I was a warrior! _Heatherpaw thought happily. _But I wish he was a ThunderClan apprentice… _she wished. Cats from different Clans were forbidden to be mates… but Heatherpaw couldn't resist Smokepaw's shy character.

Smokepaw had been a nice little crush to have. But Heatherstar knew all too well that these "little crushes" had consequences. She padded to her den beneath the Highledge, past the lichen curtain. After settling into her soft and moss-lined nest, she remembered the times that she had met with Smokepaw, the dark and cute tom-cat that a ThunderClan apprentice had fallen in love with.

Heatherpaw paced along beside her Clanmates, on their way to a Gathering. It was Heatherpaw's first, and she was excited. She recalled Sunpaw's words before she and the Gathering party had left: "You're so lucky! Shadowclaw's making me wait 'til next full moon!" Heatherpaw had touched noses with her sister, promising to share with her the news she had gained from the Gathering.  
By the time ThunderClan had made it to the Gathering Island, the other three had already arrived. Mistystar of RiverClan, Rowanstar of ShadowClan, and Onestar of WindClan were seated on the branches of the Sky Oak. As ThunderClan filed in, Gingerstar, Bramblestar's replacement, leapt up to join the other three leaders. Cats whispered in surprise, but were quickly shushed by Rowanstar. "Cats of all Clans, it is time for the Gathering to begin," he meowed. "Onestar, would you like to speak?" Heatherpaw tuned out the other Clans' news, searching for a specific cat to speak to.  
_There! _Smokepaw was sitting amongst some other apprentices. Heatherpaw slipped from her position to go over to Smokepaw and his accomplices. "Hi," she mewed. Smokepaw's eyes grew large, and Heatherpaw let out an _**mmrrrooowww**_of laughter. "You didn't think that I was an apprentice, did you?" Smokepaw shook his head. "Do you not speak?" she asked humorously.  
Smokepaw's eyes revealed that he thought she was funny. Heatherpaw was relieved by his approval. "Could we talk later?" he mewed. "Maybe… _outside _of a Gathering?"  
Heatherpaw was relieved to know that he felt the same way. She nodded quickly, and returned to her seat back in the huddle of ThunderClan cats. Smokepaw wanted to see her!  
Heatherpaw had only heard bits and pieces of the leaders' droning on about their Clan's well-being – WindClan had had trouble with a few foxes, RiverClan had gained a large supply of horsetail this new-leaf, ShadowClan many freshly-named warriors and apprentices – she had been too busy thinking about Smokepaw!  
"ThunderClan!" Gingerstar meowed, addressing her cats. "It is time to return home." She jumped down gracefully, flicking her tail as an order for her Clan to follow.  
When ThunderClan had arrived at their camp, every cat huddled over the returning cats, asking for all of the recent gossip and troubles in the other Clans. Sunpaw had been among the cats surrounding the other new-comers, no longer obligating Heatherpaw to answer her questions. Heatherpaw quickly laid down in her nest, fantasizing about her next meeting with Smokepaw.

"Heatherpaw!" a scratchy voice called.  
"Yes, Mapleshade?" Heatherpaw answered politely. "What's wrong?" Heatherpaw stood up in the light-less forest.  
"'What's wrong?'" Mapleshade meowed angrily. "How do you not know what's wrong? Who's ever told you that taking a mate from another Clan was _right_?"  
Heatherpaw scuffed her paws on the ground. "Well, I… Smokepaw and I aren't mates!" she mewed in protest.  
Mapleshade rolled her eyes. "You act as if you're mates! Not only is it forbidden to have inter-Clan mates, but you're both apprentices!"  
Heatherpaw looked at the ground. "I-I'm sorry…" she murmured.  
The multi-colored cat appeared satisfied. "You should be sorry! You're not going to become leader having such an unacceptable mate!"  
The silver tabby gazed at her abnormal orange paws in shame. But when she looked up again, she did not see the raggedy old she-cat that was always bossing her around… she saw a forest of trees that were each as scrawny as a twig. Heatherpaw had heard of cats in StarClan visiting cats in dreams. Perhaps she really was quite special! But… this didn't match the description of StarClan's hunting grounds at all! Unease and fear tickled at Heatherpaw as her dream was whisked away.

Heatherpaw woke with a start. Her paws were sweating and her heart was beating so quickly she thought that it might explode. In the apprentice den, there were two other cats; her brown tabby sister, Sunpaw, and a silvery-blue she-cat named Bluepaw. Both had risen from Heatherpaw's noise.  
"Sorry," she mewed shyly. "I didn't mean to wake you."  
Bluepaw squinted at her groggily. "It's fine." Within a few heart-beats of Bluepaw's assurances, the sound of snoring filled the den once more. Heatherpaw yawned and stretched. She walked slowly to the camp clearing and picked up a thin squirrel from the lousy freshkill pile. Heatherpaw tore into the stringy meat… _not bad_, she thought.  
Heatherpaw buried the remains of the squirrel – a few bones – and wandered over to some warriors in deep conversation. "– trouble on the ShadowClan border. Gingerstar says that they might attack us," Bravefire, one of the newest warriors in ThunderClan, meowed. "She's ordered a battle party, only to attack if they show hostility along the border."  
Heatherpaw pricked her ears, ready to finally take part in a real battle. "AHEM," Heatherpaw mock-coughed. The group of warriors turned to look at her. "May I go?" she asked politely.  
The warriors glanced at each other. "Sure," Shadowclaw, the new Clan deputy, meowed. Heatherpaw silently screamed _YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! _  
"When are we leaving?" she mewed. Shadowclaw stepped forward. "Right now, actually," Shadowclaw meowed. "Would you like to take your sister with you?"  
Heatherpaw nodded vigorously. "Sunpaw! Come on! We're going on a battle patrol!" she shouted. Sunpaw squeezed out of the apprentice den and followed Heatherpaw to the camp entrance. The other warriors that were to accompany them were just coming to the entrance. "Head out," Shadowclaw, leader of the patrol, ordered.  
Heatherpaw's paws itched for battle. It would be her first real battle. Claws unsheathed. Real injuries. Real victories.  
The patrol reached the ShadowClan border, where other cats were awaiting them. Another battle patrol! If this wasn't hostility, Heatherpaw didn't know what was. But, before making a move, she awaited Shadowclaw's signal to attack the other patrol. "ThunderClan…" she whispered. "Now!" she declared.  
Both patrols attacked, colliding together in a chaotic jumble of screaming and snarling cats. Heatherpaw's first enemy, an orange and white she-cat, tried to knock her over by swiping at her hindlegs, but she swiftly dodged it by rolling over and into the she-cat, making _her_ fall over. Heatherpaw leaped on top of her and raked her hindlegs down her opponent's belly. The she-cat fled into the bushes, dripping blood.  
_Who's next?_ Heatherpaw thought triumphantly. Her next victim was about to jump out of the bushes – they had made the mistake of her alerting her to their presence. Heatherpaw braced herself for the attacker, but lowered her guard as Smokepaw appeared from the undergrowth. "Smokepaw!" she mewed with relief. But Heatherpaw's good mood faded when Smokepaw's expression became blocked. _He doesn't know what to do!_  
All of a sudden, a cat tackled Smokepaw to the ground. Smokepaw fought back, but the enemy was strong enough to resist his power. Heatherpaw raced over to assist Smokepaw. She dragged the opponent off of him… to find out that the "enemy" was actually Sunpaw. Heatherpaw gasped and, not knowing what else to do, she ran all the way back to camp. She couldn't stand the thought of choosing between her crush Smokepaw or her sister Sunpaw, so she had just left. _Do you really expect to become leader when you turn-tail at the first sight of a difficult battle? _Mapleshade's voice questioned inside of her head. _Things aren't just going to work out, you know. Warriors stay and protect their Clanmates until the battle is over. With no one left to protect her, how will Sunpaw survive the battle?  
_Heatherpaw bared her teeth. She realized that Mapleshade had been responsible for the death of her mother, and will be for Sunpaw's and Smokepaw's. Heatherpaw couldn't let them die. She had to save her sister and Smokepaw! She charged through the forest at full speed, trying to locate her kin and crush. "Smokepaw! Sunpaw!" she called desperately.  
_Oh, no! _Two bodies laid lifeless to the side of the battle, each bleeding from many places. They must have fought each other… and they both died… _Noo! It couldn't be!_

Heatherstar cries. Thinking back to this time in her life, two travesties on the same day… Heatherpaw had been depressed. Three important cats in her life… all dead. She was alone.  
A light cat walks into her den, offering a vole or two. "Are you okay?"

Heatherpaw laid by her sister's body all night in vigil. When a Clanmate died, cats could sit vigil to show respect or love for the cat. And Heatherpaw had had a deep sisterly love with Sunpaw.  
When the sun had risen, Heatherpaw had slowly gotten up from her vigil for Sunpaw, only to listen to Gingerstar, who had called a Clan meeting upon the Highledge. "Heatherpaw, yesterday you attempted to save your Clanmate, and fought bravely in battle." Gingerstar meowed. "It's time for you to become a warrior."  
The other cats cheered, while Heatherpaw sat sulkily in the sidelines. "Heatherpaw, come forward please." Heatherpaw trudged from her concealed spot to stand before her leader. "Heatherpaw, you have trained hard to become a warrior. Do you promise to uplift and hold dear to yyour heart the warrior code?"  
Heatherpaw paused. "I do."  
"Then by the power in StarClan, I grant you your warrior name, Heathersky." Heathersky stepped forward and placed her muzzle on Gingerstar's shoulder. "Heathersky! Heathesky! Heathersky! Heathersky!" The ThunderClan Cats cheered her new name.

Many moons later, Heathersky had been traveling to the Moonpool - the sacred place of the lake territories in which cats could communicate with their ancestors with – so that she could receive her nine lives from StarClan and become the leader of ThunderClan. She dipped her nose down to touch the ice cold water of the Moonpool.  
Instantly, she was drifted to a new realm of dreams, but this was one she had visited before. "Mapleshade," she meowed steadily. "I know you're here." A patchy she-cat appeared before her.  
"You've grown smarter, I see."  
Heathersky narrowed her eyes. "Why have I come here in place of StarClan?" she demanded. "Why have you brought me here?"  
Mapleshade cackled, and her ugly ragged pelt jiggled on her bones. "Why, to fulfill your final punishment, of course," she meowed, her rank breath going into Heathersky's face. "I want you to understand that every problem you faced was because of your own selfish desire to become leader." The she-cat smiled evilly. "Enjoy being leader," she said finally.  
Heathersky was taken to StarClan afterwards, greeted by a plethora of cats with all friendly, smiling faces. Three of the cats stood out the most to her; Heathersky pelted to her mother and sister, and brushed muzzles with Smokepaw. "Welcome to StarClan. We may begin your 9 Lives Ceremony."

Heatherstar nodded to the tom, whom sat down next to her. He had been her apprentice, named Wildpaw then. He had helped her get through her depression, later becoming her mate after he gained his warrior name Wildshadow.  
As they shared the prey, they curled up together in Heatherstar's mossy, comfortable nest. Heatherstar wanted to say one more thing before they went to bed. Heatherstar mewed in Wildshadow's ear: "I'm expecting kits."


End file.
